John Galliano for Christian Dior S/S 2004 Mixed Print Silk Slip Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 6 (US)Shoulder to Hem: 44 in (111.76 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Water Mill, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU51113098492
John Galliano
Known for introducing rich theatricality and memorable fashion spectacles to the runway, John Galliano has enjoyed a singular career. The audacious British designer has garnered universal acclaim for genre-breaking collections not only at his eponymous label but also for Givenchy and Christian Dior.
From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless newspaper-print dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably newsworthy, drawing on history as often as it embodies a fresh and forward-looking sensibility, and over the years the designer has helped shape an ever-broadening new legion of enthusiasts for Parisian couture.
Born in Gibraltar but raised in South London by strict Roman Catholic working-class parents, Galliano attended the all-boys Church of England grammar school, where his flamboyance and interest in art attracted the attention of bullies. Eventually, Galliano ended up at the prestigious design and art school Central Saint Martins College (then called Saint Martin’s School of Art), where fellow British designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen also trained.
Galliano flourished at Central Saint Martins. While a student, he worked in the costume department at the National Theatre in London. His graduate collection in 1984, dubbed “Les Incroyables” and named for post–French Revolution fashion lovers, was modeled by close friends of his and earned a standing ovation. The line ended up in the storefront windows of London luxury boutique Brown’s on South Molton Street, and Galliano’s first official collection — after he graduated — debuted at Paris Fashion Week in 1989.
In the early 1990s, Galliano’s relationship with his financial backer, Plein Sud’s Faycal Amor, ended, and by 1994, he was broke and sleeping on the floor of a friend’s apartment. Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour and then-Vanity Fair editor André Leon Talley stepped in and introduced the budding designer to Portuguese socialite and fashion patron São Schlumberger and others. At Schlumberger’s Hôtel Particulier, Galliano’s shows became the stuff of fashion legend. His collection, a blend of Japanese modernist style as well as nostalgia for Art Deco and 1940s’ tailoring, earned raves in glossy magazines and garnered the attention of Princess Diana, Madonna and other fashion luminaries.
Once the Galliano name was well known among the world’s most stylish set, the chairperson of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, appointed Galliano head designer of French fashion house Givenchy. One year later, in 1996, LVMH moved him to the design team at Dior, where he produced scores of celebrated looks for Dior Haute Couture. Today, Galliano is the creative director of Maison Margiela.
Shop vintage John Galliano evening dresses and gowns, handbags, jackets and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
Christian Dior
When Christian Dior launched his couture house, in 1946, he wanted nothing less than to make “an elegant woman more beautiful and a beautiful woman more elegant.” He succeeded, and in doing so the visionary designer altered the landscape of 20th century fashion.
Dior was born in Granville, on the Normandy coast, in 1905. His prosperous haute bourgeois parents wanted him to become a diplomat despite his interest in art and architecture. However, they agreed to bankroll an art gallery, which Dior opened in 1928 in Paris with a friend.
This was the start of Dior’s rise in the city’s creative milieu, where he befriended Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. After seven years as an art dealer, Dior retrained as a fashion illustrator, eventually landing a job as a fashion designer for Robert Piguet, and in 1941, following a year of military service, he joined the house of Lucien Lelong. Just five years later, with the backing of industrialist Marcel Boussac, the ascendant Dior established his own fashion house, at 30 avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Just two years after the end of World War II, the fashion crowd and the moribund haute couture industry were yearning, comme tout Paris, for security and prosperity, desperate to discard the drab, sexless, utilitarian garb imposed by wartime deprivation. They needed to dream anew.
And Dior delivered: He designed a collection for a bright, optimistic future. “It’s quite a revolution, dear Christian!” exclaimed Carmel Snow, the prescient American editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, famously proclaiming, “Your dresses have such a new look.” The press ran with the description, christening Dior’s debut Spring/Summer haute couture collection the New Look. “God help those who bought before they saw Dior,” said Snow. “This changes everything.”
Dior’s collection definitively declared that opulence, luxury and femininity were in. His skirts could have 40-meter-circumference hems, and outfits could weigh up to 60 pounds. They were cut and shaped like architecture, on strong foundations that molded women and “freed them from nature,” Dior said. Rather than rationing, his ladies wanted reams of fabric and 19-inch waists enforced by wire corsets, and the fashion world concurred. The debut got a standing ovation.
In the subsequent decade, Paris ruled as the undisputed fashion capital of the world, and Christian Dior reigned as its king. With the luxuriously full skirts of his New Look, suits and his drop-dead gorgeous evening dresses and ball gowns worthy of any princess, Dior gave women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of war.
On 1stDibs, find an exquisite range of vintage Christian Dior clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Water Mill, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Vicky Tiel Couture Color Block Silk Dress with LeopardsBy Vicky TielLocated in Water Mill, NYA great silk dress from Vicky Tiel Couture with a marigold bodice printed with leopards and a solid black skirt portion. The bodice has a small stand up collar, long sleeves, and hor...Category
1990s French Day Dresses
- Leonard Angel Sleeve Silk Maxi Dress 1970sBy LeonardLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous angel sleeve long dress from Leonard in a bold pattern of bright pink, tan, black an yellow fine silk jersey. It has a square neckline and lon...Category
1970s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace Silk Jersey Dress with Leather Waist A/W 2001By Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in Water Mill, NYA stunning silk jersey dress from Gianni Versace Couture in a gorgeous caramel tan color. It has a plunging neckline and a wide matching leather inset waist. The skirt is straight, t...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Jean Varon Silk Maxi Dress 1970sBy Jean VaronLocated in Water Mill, NYA beautiful Jean Varon silk maxi dress in an abstract grey, coral and off-white pattern. The bodice fitted to the waist is trimmed along the low V neckline and long sleeve cuffs with ruffles of the same fabric. The floor length skirt...Category
1970s English Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana Strapless Silk DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Water Mill, NYA stunning fine silk leopard print bustier dress from Dolce and Gabbana. Ruching emanating from the center front creates a flattering cinched waist, in contrast the back is unadorned...Category
Early 2000s Italian Day Dresses
- Dolce & Gabbana Lace up Silk DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Water Mill, NYA beautiful stretch silk leopard print dress from Dolce & Gabbana. The bodice has adjustable straps, functional and adjustable side lacing through to the hips plus rows of top stitch...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean Paul Gaultier Mesh Nomad Ethnic Tribal Aztec Tattoo Tatouages Indian DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in PARIS, FRJean Paul Gaultier JPG Collector Catwalk Mesh Transparent Sheer Nomad Ethnic Tribal Indian Western Aztec Tattoo Tatouages Long Maxi Dress Extremely rare "Tatouages" dress from Jean Paul Gaultier! Museum piece! "Tim Blanks’ Top Fashion Shows of All Time Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring/Summer 1994, October 1993: BoF’s Editor-at-Large journeys back to a show that fused Indian mysticism, 18th century silhouettes...Category
1990s Maxi Dresses
- Henri Bendel 1960s Pink Silk DressBy Henri BendelLocated in Alford, MA1960s medium-weight silk shift dress in a beautiful shade of pink. The construction features a yoke at top that extends over the shoulders to form cap sleeves. The simple straight sh...Category
1960s American Shift Dresses
- Vintage Missoni 2pc Dress Purple & Copper Metallic Ruffled Top & Tiered SkirtBy MissoniLocated in Portland, ORThis is a wonderful vintage 1970's Missoni for Saks Fifth Avenue purple knit with metallic bronze lurex details. We love this outfit because you can wear each of the pieces separatel...Category
1970s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Red Camouflage Dress Pink Lurex Silk Patch Work Vintage DesignerBy J DAUPHINLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigner J Dauphin Repurposed Vintage US Military Camouflage Dress with Pink Silk and Red Satin. Gold tone vintage Brass Military Vintage Buttons fr...Category
2010s American Mini Dresses
- Red Camouflage Dress Pink Lurex Silk Patch Work Vintage DesignerBy J DAUPHINLocated in Los Angeles, CADesigner J Dauphin Repurposed Vintage US Military Camouflage Dress with Pink Silk and Red Satin. Gold tone vintage Brass Military Vintage Buttons fr...Category
2010s American Mini Dresses
- Alexander McQueen 2009 Futuristic Crystalized Print Sheath Dress -newBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Los Angeles, CAAlexander Mcqueen's Spring 2009 collection showcases the romantic, ethereal and purist side of the designer in his effort to send his message regarding the evolution of the world in ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Sheath Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How John Galliano Caused Fashion Chaos around the Globe
The visionary designer epitomizes the pleasures and perils of irrepressible creative genius.
The Best Ways to Dress for Your Astrological Sign
Makeup and astrology expert Linda Mason dispenses fashion advice for every zodiac sign. Does your wardrobe match your horoscope?